Four Country Gals

With the stable and corral finished, it’s time to move the little “foster horses” north from Enterprise to Beryl.

Dusty and Kid are just yearlings who either will never see the race track, or who need a temporary home until time to go to the trainer.

In Dusty’s case, he’ll never see the track as he has a slightly crooked cannon bone on his right front leg. He still needs love, and training, and he can become a very good pleasure riding horse, just not a race horse.

Kid is “track material”, but not ready to go to the trainer for a while. Cindy and Bev will nurture him and Dusty will provide other “horse company”.

What are the goals? Since Dusty will be here “long-term”, Cindy will work with him, and eventually saddle and ride him. She’s never done this, so the two of them will be learning together.

Kid is “just visiting”, so he’ll be loved and nurtured, but not trained. That is a job for the professional trainer.

As you can see, Dusty really admires his new keepers. Both Cindy and Bev are taking an active role in socializing him.

He’s got his issues. Some days, he’s a brat. Some days, he’s pushy. Some days, well… he’s just a total love… not the least bit well-behaved, but a total love.

Part of our dream has been to have more than just dogs… we really would like to again have a horse or two.

Cindy was a really good rider, participating in barrel racing all through high school, and Bev helped her Grandfather a lot when he was raising “sulky horses”. For years, they’ve had to set aside the desire to own, train and ride horses.

But, they’ve got some hurdles. They don’t really know any one yet… and they sure don’t have a barn. Oh, and it’s still winter here… and they’ve got no idea when it will be spring.

Never mind, since Bev is in town regularly, she often stops by the local hardware store… Bracken’s. They have a “local ad board” where she finds a request for “horse rescue center volunteers”.

What the heck… they go check it out.

Cindy and Bev head into Enterprise to visit. That’s all, just visit… well, maybe we could volunteer some hours feeding and cleaning.

Turns out, the gal is starting a “Thoroughbred Horse Rescue Center” as her father-in-law and grandfather breed and raise Thoroughbreds for the racing industry. You know, only a very small percentage of horses ever actually make it to the track… so she’s thinking setting up a rescue would be a good idea.

Within days, it’s really winter again, and thoughts of horses are far from their minds. First, what to do with all this snow! It seems like no sooner is it here… then it is gone… and then back again.

From the middle of February, until the end of March, we’ve had at least four distinct snow storms, leaving as much as 8 inches or so each time. Even our birds are tiring of the routine. Poor little things, they’re just so cold.

Finally, with a 10-day dry stretch, they begin thinking again about the horses. Deena’s having a hard time getting volunteers and she’s thinking maybe it would be better to find “foster homes” for the “racing rejects”.

You know… we’ve got this old shed out along the north property line. Wonder if we could do anything with it? Wonder how much work it would take to modify it for a horse or two?

Oh boy, it’s full of tumbleweed. What’s with all this “heavy metal”? They must have kept something pretty big in here… cows maybe? Hey look… we’ve even got a frost-free hydrant. That will make things really easy… we can just hook up a hose and fill water barrels from here. No time to see if it’s operational, the ground’s still pretty frozen.

Hmm, even if we do get this area cleaned out, we don’t have a corral, or anything to make a corral. We’ll need posts, a way to dig the holes for the posts, fencing (including electric), and God only knows what else.

Electric fence? Now, that’s gonna be fun… we don’t have any power! Oh, wait, we’ve got plenty of sun… we’ll get a solar powered fence charger.

The gals (and Shawn) enjoy a quiet Christmas, celebrating by opening packages on Christmas eve. This year, it’s a little subdued as Mom is still recovering from the bout of diverticulitis and then depression.

Coco, the puppy is the “star of the show”, investigating every gift, and of course, all the wrapping paper.

Shawn has to catch the Las Vegas shuttle out of St George bright and early Christmas morning, so it’s up at “Oh God:thirty”, well before the sun comes up.

Leaving Mom home with most of the dogs, Bev, Cindy, Shawn, and Coco “the pup” pile into the Avalanche for the hour plus drive to St. George. All the way there, they’re a little concerned about whether or not the shuttle will actually be running on Christmas Day.

No problem, they arrive at about sun up (shortly after 7 AM) and hook up with the shuttle.

Their only regret is that there is no snow for Christmas.

Oh… but the very next morning, they awake to the first tease… a brief snow shower.

The ground has been frozen for some time now, so what little falls sticks immediately. Is it really winter here now?

Life is very good indeed… all the way through Thanksgiving and until the morning of December 11.

Mom wakes up not feeling her usual perky self. She’s got an upset stomach that’s getting worse as the morning goes on.

Teasingly, Bev says, “If you’re not better in an hour, I’m calling the squad (cop talk for emergency services)!”

And Mom replies… “Don’t think you’d better wait for the full hour”

With that, both Bev and Cindy spring into action. They call 911 and begin moving furniture so the EMT’s can get the gurney to Mom’s room. Let’s see, if they bring the gurney in the front door, they can go out the sliding door, and make the turn on the patio, then come in the back door with a straight shot into Mom’s room.

Within about 15 minutes, the squad arrives, and loads Mom up for the 45 minute trip to Cedar City. Bev and Cindy follow in the Avalanche. No one knows for sure what Mom’s problem is… but they all agree, she’s feeling pretty badly to agree to a ride in the ambulance.

One thing about Utah, and health care. These folks know how to take care of you… Bedside manners are tops. Even in the emergency room, the empathy oozes. Health care is a most important aspect of the “good life” in Utah.

Now, this a Sunday, so you wouldn’t expect much news about any conditions. But again, because it’s Utah, and health care is awesome, Mom is diagnosed with diverticulitis. She’s spending several days in the hospital until the Dr’s can get the infection under control.

Here it is… Christmas season, and Mom’s in the hospital. No time to slow down…

Besides making nearly daily trips to Cedar City, Bev and Cindy are readying the house for Christmas. That means shopping for presents and also meeting Shawn when he arrives.

Mom’s always hard to shop for, but this year, it’s a bit of a “no-brainer”. Earlier this year, on the way to Utah, the girls had lost “Bree”, having to euthanize her at the start of the move.

They’d be replacing her with a spunky little “brown bug”. Looking around, they found a family in Cedar City who had a Chocolate Lab puppy up for a “rescue adoption”. Perfect! She’ll do just fine with the Black Lab, the other “old gal” Chocolate Lab, and Koda, the shepherd-husky cross.

So, on Dec 17, nearly a week after Mom has gone to the hospital, Bev and Cindy visit the folks with the Chocolate Lab. Yes… they’ll take that one. How soon can they pick her up?

It’s now just a week before Christmas and time to go get Shawn. He’s making things easier by flying into ‘Vegas and then taking the shuttle into St. George. That means Bev and Cindy will go get him, then pick up the puppy, and then visit Mom.

“How well do we have to hide a puppy to get into Mom’s room”, Cindy asks.

“Puppy? How small… oh really… Yes, by all means. The puppy is welcome in her room.”

With only two days to spare, Mom is finally released from the hospital only to spend the next 10 days pretty much in bed, suffering from a bout of depression.

It’s getting into November now, and the gals, remembering Ohio are looking for really cold and snowy weather.

They’ve got the fireplace ready. It’s even decorated for Christmas with a “frontier desert” motif. Along with the fireplace, they’ve laid in several cords of wood, as the fireplace will provide most of the “morning heat” and evening “stoke it really good” heat. Even though electric heat isn’t expensive here, they’re not real sure about the quality of their furnace/heat pump.

They can see snow in the really high mountains. That’s actually “Brian Head”, Utah’s most southerly ski resort. It’s situated south of Bryce Canyon and north of Zion National Park.

They even watch some really menacing stuff pass them by on the east. Around here, the main “weather” happens east of the nearest mountain range in what they call the “I-15 Corridor”. That’s where Cedar City is located… and they get an abundance of snow.

In the meantime, cold means it’s below freezing at night… sometimes way below as in barely above zero, and then bright and sunny during the daytime. Oh, and what makes it winter is the north wind.

When the wind comes from the north, especially the northeast, or even east, the wind chill is ferocious. Even the birds look for shelter where they can stay out of the wind.

Think they’re happy?

You bet! With Mom here, and the dogs, “Mindy, Missy, and Koda”, the family is nearly complete. They’ve even managed to get Shawn, Cindy’s son to come out for Christmas. Life is very good, indeed.

Here comes Mom… and not a minute too soon!

The “girls” have now been “without her” for nearly two months. They’ve struggled with making “good coffee”… and Lord knows they’ve not been eating well. They’re idea of cooking is macaroni and cheese… or maybe no cheese.

Of course, with Mom arriving, that means they really need to get their rears in gear and get things put away. With some really creative “unpacking”, and a nice full basement, they’re able to make the living room/dining room and kitchen look presentable for Mom.

Mom is flying into Cedar City, so that will be a short drive over the mountains. One thing I don’t think she expected, is the “tour of the USA”. Her flight takes her from Toledo, to Atlanta, to Salt Lake City, and finally into Cedar City. Luckily, the girls have arranged for “sky cap” service throughout her flight.

She’s pretty exhausted, so a quick stop at Arby’s to pick up dinner and they scoot out of town, heading west over the mountains shortly before sunset.

As Mom sees the valley for the first time, she begins to appreciate her “new life” way out in the country. Shortly after reaching the summit when you’re heading west, you can see for nearly 50 miles from one side of the valley to the other. Bev points out about where they live… just a speck of trees to the “other side” of that silver thingy (a big hay barn with a metal roof).

Now that Mom is here, it’s time to get her room livable. The bed is pretty much in place, the there are still boxes everywhere, and the room is still chocolate milk brown… not Mom’s favorite color.

A quick trip to the “local” hardware store, and they’ve got paint… a really pretty blue. Next, it’s off to Cedar City again to pick out wallpaper for the wall at the head of Mom’s bed.

And then there’s that little strip from the wall to the ceiling. Cindy finds the cutest little lambs! Suppose that’s a “foretelling”?

From what Mom has told me… and I think I remember Cindy mentioning it… there were a lot of “bad words” exchanged as they put up the wallpaper and the “lamb” border. Cindy and Bev don’t argue much… but Cindy is the one with the “short fuse” and when things don’t go together right the first time… well, let’s just say she rear’s back and hit’s it harder.

Uh-oh, Mom’s still on “Ohio time”, so it’s up before the sun comes up. That’s ok. She adores sunrises, and listening to the birds sing. With the little “porch area” in front of the garage, she’s able to enjoy her tea for a few mornings, until it gets too cold to be out there.

Each day brings a totally unique style of sunrise, from highly colored to brilliant gold. All in all, Mom is so glad she’s finally home in Beryl, UT.

Does she miss her friends? Oh yeah, especially “Joey”. They’ve been “best buds” for years. They’ll keep in touch by phone and by snail mail.

One thing you can say for both these intrepid adventurers, they’re not afraid of hard, physical work. Bev has been steadily regaining her strength, since her bout with the “big C”. Cindy… well, she seems able to work like a horse, day after day.

Remember that big, overgrown Juniper Tam hedge separating the front yard from the circular drive?

Well it’s a haven for all kinds of stuff… garbage from previous owners, tumbleweed that has been blown into the hedge, sand dunes, and untold critters. It’s also incredibly unsightly in Bev and Cindy’s eyes.

What to do? Get ‘er trimmed up. They’ve got Friday free… that’s a good time to “git ‘er done!”

With lopping shears, a hacksaw, a hatchet, gloves, and a large tarp in hand, they set about pruning this monsterous , ugly hedge. Now this thing is nearly 40 feet long, and well over 8 feet thick and nearly 4 feet tall. There’s just no other way to get started than to dive in and find the first unwieldy branches.

By lunch time, Cindy is noticing a rash on her arms. It’s been too hot to wear long sleeves, so they’re both out there in basically t-shirts, jeans and boots. Is it red spider bites? Is it an allergy to something? Is it just an “irritation” from the prickly needles? No time to get too concerned, there’s more hedge awaiting.

So here they are, chopping away, dragging the limbs to the Avalanche so they can haul them to the dump box. The tarp is protecting the truck bed and top from scratches and unnecessary mess.

All of a sudden… ka-thunk! Cindy hits the ground… out cold!

Thankfully, Bev has plenty of first aid knowledge. First things first… call 911!

Long story short… Cindy takes an unscheduled trip to Cedar City, and discovers she’s highly allergic to Juniper.

Where was Shari? Well, she had been in communication with Cindy earlier in the morning and even at lunchtime when she mentioned the rash. All of a sudden, she heard from Bev, just long enough to let her know she was headed for Cedar City behind “the squad” (that’s cop talk for emergency vehicle).

Good news! Cindy was checked out, told to stay out of the Juniper, and released to return home.

So, what about the rest of the ugly hedge? It’s gonna stay where it is for a while, and Cindy’s gonna walk a wide circle around it.

So much for Friday and work in the front yard. They turn their attention to other areas slated for cleaning.

Saturday morning, they’re cleaning more areas, hosing down the outside of the house, so they can get a good look at it’s real color. Little do they know… there’s storm clouds brewing… and they won’t find them in the sky.

About mid-day, there’s suddenly NO WATER! What do you mean no water?

Oh geez! This isn’t possible… the well can’t be dry. The power is on, so that’s not the problem… hmm… now what do they do?

Fortunately, they’d had a well on the island, so they knew the drill… check the pressure tank. Nope, it’s not leaking.

Check the circuit breakers. It looks like everything is in order… That means nothing is tripped. They still don’t know for sure which breaker controls what as nothing has been marked.

Hmm, maybe they’d better call for help. But who? Let’s go ask Bill, the only neighbor we know. Bill provides the name and phone number of the local well driller. That’s a start… sort of.

Uh-oh, well drillers don’t have any responsibility for the well once it’s dug and they find water and case it. Now what?

Pump service? Is that what they need?

By then, it’s Sunday morning, they’ve had no water for nearly 24 hours… and it’s Southern Utah, where most everyone has gone to church.

Compound that with Labor Day weekend… if they can find the pump service dude, it’s gonna be expensive. They’re in luck. It’s now Sunday afternoon and they’ve got a guy coming out to see what’s wrong.

With only hours to spare before sunset, he confirms the problem… it’s the well pump. Oh my God! Does this mean we’re without water for two days… until Tuesday? Things are gonna get ugly here.

He thinks he has a pump that will work, so that’s the good news. He will return on Monday (Labor Day) to pull the old pump out and put the new one in at a depth of 120 feet.

The bad news… pump is over $500 and because it’s a holiday, labor is double time, for another $500 plus. Oh well… at this point, it’s more important to have the water as soon as possible.

With the kitchen nightmare behind them, they now turn their serious attention to Mom’s room. The days are quickly racing by, and soon, she’ll be joining them. If they can’t get it all redecorated… they should at least get stuff unpacked as best they can.

Let’s see, right now, Mom’s room is chocolate milk brown. One wall has some kind of god-awful wallpaper that really looks like the “papered” side of drywall. There are patches where there used to be curtain rods, and those are unpainted.

Time to really focus and see if they can get Mom to agree to colors. They figure if they take pictures of the chips AND send both the chips and the pictures to her, surely she can choose one.

Well, that’s a no go… Mom can’t decide, so will wait until after she gets here. That means they’ll have moved everything at least three times. Once from where they originally put it, once away from the wall to make room to work, and once to where Mom finally decides to put it.

The one thing (probably the most important one) they’ve done for Mom, is find a great home for the houseplants they brought. You see, Mom just loves cacti, and other little house plants.

Cindy and Bev had carefully packed those in the Avalanche so the dogs wouldn’t trample them. As soon as they saw the east facing kitchen windows with nice deep ledges, they knew exactly where to put “Mom’s house plants”. Now all they had to do was remember to water them… not too much, but enough.

They’re fairly comfortable with the inside (even though it’s not done), so they turn their attention to at least making the outside look more presentable for her pending arrival.

They’ve managed to get the underground watering system going in the front yard. It’s on an automatic timer, and they’ve got it going twice a day, 30 minutes each time.

In order to make that work, they literally had to listen for the water to come on, go see where the timer was set, and adjust the time. Don’t ask them how they got it come on twice a day… that hasn’t happened for a while.

The backyard is another story. For the time being, Koda likes to play in the weeds and enjoy the shade of the tall cinder block wall. Missy and Mindy could care less.

You know, these two have been unpacking now for over two weeks, and they still have boxes scattered about, stuff laying around as if it will never have a home, and Mom arriving within a very short time… They’ve simply got to get in gear and get it done!

So it is as they head into the Labor Day weekend…

October 1, 2007

This month, I had an article published in “Small Town Living” on page 21 titled “Oh give me a home…”

It tells the story of how we’ve “fallen into the horse business”.

You’ll want to print a copy of the entire online magazine as there is tons of information. Whether you have a garden, want to live a “rural life”, enjoy preserving food, or just want to read about others enjoy their lives, you’ll love this magazine.

Published six times a year, they hope to take the online magazine to print within the next year.

Well, the girls have continued to unpack. They’ve more or less gotten their rooms in order, and have made the living room somewhat “livable”.

Time to turn their attention to the kitchen.

This room is long, narrow, and turns a corner… really a strange setup. The refrigerator is old and small, with only a top freezer compartment. That needs to be replaced, for sure.

Oh well, onward they go…

They start really cleaning things and putting away kitchen stuff, when all of a sudden, they realize there’s water on the floor… uh oh!

Well, it doesn’t take them long to figure out it. Things aren’t right under the kitchen sink.

Oh yuck!

The thingy is disconnected from the what’cha ma’ call it. Yikes… this is serious.

Fortunately, both Bev and Cindy are pretty handy in the plumbing department. It’s not their favorite thing to do what with all the nasty stuff you encounter.

First things first… what the hell is the real problem here?

Oh, now I get it… the garbage disposal is disconnected from the drain line, and what’s worse is… all the piping is rusted.

Next question… who has the strength to bust all this stuff loose? Well that job fell to Cindy, who slithered under the sink and began wrenching it all loose, pipe by pipe. Each time she got one piece loosened, another one broke, until finally…

Bev said “That’s it! We’re replacing all the piping with PVC and then praying the disposal works.”

Several hours later, lots of bad words hurled at the stupid plumbing, and at least one trip to the “now discovered” Enterprise (just 17 miles down the road)  for parts, Cindy pronounced the job… “DONE!”

Here’s what her finished job looked like… All nice and neat with PVC and everything securely in place. So much for their first major “do it yourself” project. There’ll be more to come… you can count on it.